Stand up. Move forward. Now.

Marc Altmann
Jan 24
2 min read

Stand Up and Move Forward

There are many people who are not truly willing to take their lives into their own hands. They wait for others to do it for them. Yet at some point, those others are no longer willing — or no longer there. Then only one option remains: to take responsibility for oneself and one’s own actions. So why not stand up and move forward today?

Others Should Serve Me

In many sacred texts, we are repeatedly reminded that we are meant to take responsibility for our lives and for the way we perceive them. Yet in our society, we have become increasingly accustomed to expecting “others” to take care of us.

When we visit a doctor or a practitioner, we expect them to make us well — while we ourselves may live in unhealthy ways and give little thought to what truly benefits our bodies. After all, we are insured. And if things go wrong, others are meant to put them right.

In truth, our lives have often been out of balance for much longer.But we prefer not to look.

Looking for Blame Outside Ourselves

If the doctor or practitioner does not make us well, then they must be “bad”. The blame is shifted outward: it is not me — it is the others.

The same pattern appears in relationships:“If only he or she would change, then things between us would work.”

This immature stance makes relationships difficult — and it does not bring us the inner peace we are truly longing for.

Getting Fit

When it comes to physical training, it becomes particularly obvious: if we go to the gym and hope that our fitness will improve simply by looking at the equipment, nothing will happen.

“But I went to the gym and I’m still not losing weight!”Sitting at the counter will not create change.

Nike has a wonderful slogan for this: Just do it.We could hang it everywhere — from the fridge to the bedroom. Because change only happens when we truly begin.

Yes, You Can

Children are often far braver in life than adults. They have not yet been shaped to the same extent by disappointment and hurt, and they dare to trust themselves more.

If we were to look at the world today through the eyes of a child, it would quickly become clear: we spend a remarkable amount of our lives not truly setting off.

Laughter

When we begin to take our problems a little less seriously, we re-enter the playfulness of life. We all face challenges. What truly matters is how we choose to look at them.

“Humour is when you can still laugh anyway.”Perhaps today — at a selfie, at your reflection in the mirror in the morning, or out of gratitude to God for what is already present.

In the Bible, Jesus says to a man who is ill:“Pick up your mat and walk.”That is precisely the point: stand up and move forward.